User Reviews

Bowler hatted men march over Westminster Bridge. Lining up firing squad fashion, they aim their umbrellas at the Union flag and shoot. It could be the opening to an 'Avengers' caper, instead it was the prelude to one of the zaniest comedies the B.B.C. has ever made - 'Its A Square World'.

I have only seen one episode of this fondly remembered '60's show ( repeated in 1976 as part of a B.B.C. retrospective ) but enjoyed it enormously.

The late Michael Bentine not only starred ( his 'lecture' sketches predated those of Ronnie Barker on 'The Two Ronnies ), but co-wrote it with John Law. As you'd expect from one of the founders of 'The Goon Show', the show was rich in inspired lunacy, employing animation, puppets and Visual Effects, in sketches such as 'What Goes On In A Singer's Mind' ( little animated men running around inside a man's head ), a B.B.C. reporter interviewing a sexy French film-star loses his composure and tries to kiss her, a Chinese junk sails up the Thames and fires at The Houses Of Parliament, the source of the Thames turns out to be a giant dripping tap, a spy disclosing stolen rocket secrets over a public phone is astonished when the box takes off like a rocket, the B.B.C. T.V. centre is attacked by cowboys and Indians and, in a later episode, is shot into space. Many believe this to have been a major influence on later flights of fancy such as 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' and 'The Goodies'. Anything could happen in 'Its A Square World' and usually did. The supporting cast included ( though not all at the same time ) Clive Dunn, Ronnie Barker, Deryck Guyler, Frank Thornton and Dick Emery.

Bentine later took the show to A.T.V. - resulting in the less successful 'All Square'. After a spell on children's television, in 1977, he tried to revive the show. A pilot entitled 'Michael Bentine's Square World' was screened, but led to no series. Which was a pity, seeing how it was directed by the brilliant Jim Franklin. Two sketches stick out; office workers doing acrobatics in the workplace, leaping over desks and so on and a superb World War Two sketch about witches and warlocks forming their own air force. The sight of women in pointed hats on broomsticks taking off from an airfield '633 Squadron'-style had to be seen to be believed!

With more and more archive television appearing on D.V.D., given the talent involved in its making and its importance in the development of British comedy, is it too much to ask that 'Its A Square World' be considered for release in the not-too distant future?

It's a Square World was a unique show, using film with live TV. I remember Bentine doing a presentation about transport. There was a board next to him, with pictures of people, cars, etc, on different lines, that became animated as he talks to camera. Another sketch saw him talking to camera, and being interrupted by a cartoon bloke in overall and cloth cap, who came onto the screen and butted in. I loved the model sets, supposedly re-enacting events like, gunfight at the ok coral. Using what was supposed to be ants, replete with gunfire, horses hoofs, and voices probably sourced by Bentine himself. I haven't heard of the show influencing python, only of Spike Milligan accusing python of ripping off his material. I loved both Michael Bentine and Spike Milligan shows equally, but feel Bentine is a sadly neglected comedy genius, especially relating to comedy innovation. Bentine never gets mentioned at all, while python apparently "continues to inspire everyone with its originality"

It's a Square World was my favourite TV program when it was screened, I was an adolescent and the only one in our family that liked it. When the last episode ever was screened, I barely got the chance to watch it. I had to argue with my dad to be able to view it. We'd got our TV when the only TV channel was BBC, and hadn't changed it when ITV came out, as dad couldn't afford it. So even though we had no chance of changing channel, my dad would rather switch the TV off than watch it. I got to watch it as I couldn't bare not to, I could scarcely miss the last episode of my favourite TV show.

It was interesting reading another review, as I don't remember the one 1977 episode, and I've never seen the ITV series. There will never be any DVDs of this show, this has nothing to do with the shows being in monochrome. When Square World was made BBC comedies were live, the Beeb preferred to broadcast their shows on the cheap from a studio rather than from an outside broadcast. I got the feeling that Bentine deliberately made the last sketch in each show, one that had to be done outside the studio, to get back at Auntie Beeb. As well as ending an episode by having the BBC broadcasting house under attack. This was done outside the front of the building itself, with characters abseiling up the wall. I'd heard the Beeb pulled the plug on the show because it was too expensive to produce. The last episode ends with the Chinese junk bombarding Westminster. I'd heard Bentine wanted to use a flotilla of junks, but had to settle for just one.

The show was broadcast years before even VHS tape let alone DVD, and the only way to record TV programs was on cine film. The BBC rarely taped any program, many that were had the tapes wiped, so they could be reused. A typical excuse being that the process was too expensive. People had to ensure they watched their favourite TV program when it was broadcast. As that was the only chance of watching it.

Michael Bentine had two TV kids programs, The Bumblies and Potty Time.